Ahsoka's Legacy: When Cultures Collide 2
by Count Mallet
Summary: AU. (2030 AD/0 ABY) In the continuation of When Cultures Collide, Shalene Tano travels to Earth to spend a week with her cousins. During her stay, she learns how they and their colleagues live day to day. Rated Teen for references to adolescence, modesty, and a brief scene involving implied nudity. Originally posted to FanFiction·net [S55-F45-M23].
1. New Experiences

**Preface**

Largely taking place on Earth, this story will not be part of _The Trips to Shili_ sub-series. However, it's still part of the larger _Ahsoka's Legacy_ series. Picking up where _When Cultures Collide_ left off, we'll see the opposite plot from that of _The Other Half of the Family_. Here, a native Shilian Togruta takes her first trip away from her family tribe—and her planet—to experience Earth life with her cousins and their colleagues.

As always, reading prior stories in the series is **not** an absolute prerequisite. However, one may miss out on background information or detail that provides explanations for present characters and events.

For this story, passages in «angled quotes» represent words spoken in Togruti. For words and phrases in other, non-English languages, I use _italics_ with the translation immediately following in [square brackets].

 **Acknowledgments**

Very special thanks to the Walt Disney Company for Star Wars characters and concepts.

Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

* * *

 _Earth Date: Saturday, 2030-08-17_

"Shalene?" Sarah asked.

Shalene blinked her eyes in response to her cousin's query. The experience of a three-hour flight traveling at the speed of light still left her feeling surreal. Sure, she talked to the others on and off during the trip. However, she felt unsure about what to do or feel now that the trip ended with _Shili-1_ parked in its usual hangar.

"I'll be fine," she replied, mostly saying it to reassure herself more than her cousin.

"OK. Everyone else is waiting. Emi even wanted to come back in to get you."

Shalene cracked a small smile. Over the previous two weeks, Emilina formed a bit of a bond with her. She slowly undid her safety harness and stood up.

"Here, I grabbed this for you," Sarah said as she handed Shalene her belongings she packed for the trip.

"Thank you. It feels weird walking again after flying and sitting so long."

"You'll get used to it."

"I just wish I had better shoes like you, Sarah," Shalene conceded. As a tribal Togruta, she spent most of her time barefoot, except for the most special or formal of occasions. The wedge sandals she wore today, her only pair of footwear, might be appropriate for those rare occasions. Presently, she felt slightly wobbly as she started to walk again.

"I'll come with you," Sarah promised. The two silently walked down the gangway and rejoined the rest of their fellow travelers.

"There you are," Tim said. "I hope you're OK."

"I am, thank you. I'm just trying to regain my bearings," Shalene replied.

"That's understandable. Anyways, here you are. Welcome to Earth."

Shalene nodded and looked around. Earth, or this particular part of it, felt far different from the scrub lands of Shili. What appeared to be the duracrete floor of the hangar stretched from one end to another. Worse, she noticed nobody else around.

 _Where is everybody?_ She thought.

As she turned to face everybody again, she noticed three humans walking towards them.

"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" Molly asked.

"We got a message asking us to pick you up. Apparently, Tim said he can't bring you home because he has no room for you," Lynn, Molly's mother, replied.

"They had room for me before..." Molly said before she trailed off. "Oh, yeah, we have one more person with us now," she realized.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah. I even got to dress like they do there. I'll have to show you the pictures I took."

"You can tell me all about it when we get home."

"Yeah, I want to hear more too," Molly's brother added.

"Sure thing," Molly answered. Turning to Tim, she said, "Well, I'll see you on Monday, master. Thanks for bringing me."

"No problem," Tim said. "I'm glad you could come."

"Molly, you never told us Sarah had another sister? Or have you all been hiding her all these years?" Mr. Douglas asked.

 _He's worse than my master,_ Molly thought.

"This is Sarah's cousin. She wanted to come visit here," she told her father.

"Oh! That makes sense. Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Thank you," Shalene replied.

"Well, I guess I better get going. Shalene, I hope I see you again soon," Molly said.

As the Douglas family left, Tim said, "Well, we should go, too."

"Don't we need medical scans?" Ahsoka asked.

"Rachel is off for the weekend. I was told we could self-administer basic scans today and come in first thing Monday for full ones."

"Oh, OK. I guess we'll do that when we get home."

⁂

Shalene set her belongings down again. After riding in an enclosed vehicle that used wheels instead of hovering above the ground, she looked in awe at her final destination.

 _This could hold an entire extended family back home_ , she thought.

"Alright, we better scan everyone and get that over with," Tim stated.

"Scan me first," Sarah replied. "I want to show Shalene it won't hurt."

"Very well."

Sarah stood up as her father passed his datapad up, down, and around her body.

"Nothing to report here. That's good."

"Me?" Emilina said.

"You want to go next?"

Emilina nodded her head yes.

As Sarah took her sister's hand, Tim scanned her as best he could.

"Good news, little one. You're OK, too." he told her.

"I guess I'm next," Shalene said.

"Yeah. As you see, it won't harm you in any way."

"I trust you."

Shalene stood silently as Tim scanned her. Lacking such technology back home, healers appeared to rely on instinct or their patients' complaints to determine a course of treatment—if any.

"Nothing major to report. You'll be OK until Monday," Tim told her. "Sarah, since we decided she'll share a room with Emilina until you leave on Monday, show her to her room."

"Sure," Sarah replied. "C'mon. Let's go upstairs."

As the pair walked up the stairs, Shalene said, "This place is so big. You're lucky."

"I guess," Sarah answered with a shrug. "It seems average to me."

"On Shili, a place this size could hold quite a number of extended family and «blood cousins» quite comfortably."

"I suppose you're right. OK, here's your room you'll be sharing with Emi. Father will probably get the roll-away bed for you."

To Shalene, the bedroom appeared to be roughly the same as her room back home—perhaps a little bigger.

"Go ahead, put your belonging over there for now," Sarah told her cousin.

Shalene nodded as did so. Turning to face Sarah, she asked, "Sarah, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Since we're not outside, is it OK if I take my shoes off? I just don't feel right wearing them unless it's a special occasion."

"Go ahead. That reminds me."

Shalene cracked a small smile as she watched Sarah bend down and remove her own sandals, tossing them across the hall into her room. Shalene then did the same.

"Better?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. But it is a bit cooler here. I wish I had something else to wear that was a bit warmer."

"Hmm, I could let you try on a couple of my outfits later, but I don't know if they'll fit."

"We seem to be almost as tall as each other."

"True, but you're 18—two years older than I am—and your... chest seems a bit bigger and maybe your hips. We'll have to see."

"Oh, OK. I don't want to disrespect my parents, but I really would like to look more like people here and not dress formally all the time."

"That makes sense. Like father always says, 'When in Rome, do what the Romans do.'"

"What's that mean?" Shalene asked, arching an eye marking at the unfamiliar expression.

"Just that when you travel to a different place, you should try to follow the local customs as much as possible."

"That's exactly what I want to do."

⁂

"Ladies, dinner!" Tim called upstairs.

"Alright!" Sarah called back. "C'mon, let's go eat."

"Now that you mention it, I **am** a bit hungry," Shalene replied.

Both teens went downstairs and joined the rest of the family. Sarah noticed the dining room table pulled out to accommodate one more person.

"Sit here, Shalene," Ahsoka stated.

Shalene nodded and sat in the designated place. In place of the tray-like objects she ate on at home, a round, heavier object sat on the table. Three elongated metallic objects sat to the right of it.

Sarah looked at everyone's plate, noticing a small yet peculiar detail.

"Father, why didn't you put her hot dog in a bun?" she asked.

"You didn't give me a chance to explain," Tim replied. "From what your mother has told me, and what I observed the past two weeks, most Togruta eat meat as their primary food—with certain exceptions here and there such as the berries I saw some eat on occasion. So, we decided to try to do our best to match that for Shalene. Also, I'm not sure how she will take to Earth food, so it's probably better to give her small portions first to see what she likes. Let's just hope she doesn't have any food allergies."

Sarah nodded. Turning to her cousin, she asked, "Do you?"

"What does that mean?" Shalene asked in reply.

"Have you ever eaten anything that made you feel ill or sick?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"If she wants to try the baked beans, she can if she wants," Tim added.

As Sarah nodded, Shalene asked, "What are these things?"

"Let me show you. This with the prongs is a fork. It can be used for holding pieces of meat. This flat one is a knife used for cutting. We cut up Emilina's hot dogs, so let me show you." He then showed Shalene how he held the meat with the fork as he cut it up into smaller pieces.

"Oh, that makes sense."

Shalene took her fork and knife and slowly repeated what she had observed. Instinctively, she sniffed at the unfamiliar meat.

 _Well, it's definitely not thimiar or akul, but here goes my first Earth meal,_ she thought.

⁂

Later that evening, Sarah took her recharged datapad and logged into her account. Sarah immediately deleted the reminders about off-season cross country workouts and other time-sensitive messages that were no longer relevant tonight. Spotting a message from her academic adviser regarding her summer class, she opened it.

 _This is a general reminder that summer students need to complete any remaining assignments no later than Monday, August 19. When you log in, note that potential topics for your final assignment will be posted. Please indicate at least two choices but no more than three in order of preference. One of these will be chosen at random when you log in to complete the final assignment no later than Friday, August 23._

 _As always, contact me with any questions or see me between 1 and 4 PM during weekday study sessions._

Sarah noted the details. _I'll take care of this tonight or tomorrow,_ she thought.

Sarah scrolled through the rest of her messages. Most didn't require an immediate response. She scrolled back to read of couple of messages she noted earlier—two from her master.

 _Sarah,_

 _I arrived home today. Despite my periodic time off, it always feels weird not to have you by my side as I've grown accustomed to during our time together. Don't worry, everything seems to be going smoothly, and I'm here to work out the last few details. I'm glad you'll be attending my wedding. If I remember, this may be your father's first time visiting here since I was two years old._

 _MTFBWY*,_

 _Master Del_

Sarah then checked the second message. It came on the 12th—her master's birthday. She tapped on the message and read it.

 _Sarah,_

 _It was good to spend time with my parents and family today. I can't remember if I told you, but I have a cousin, Jade, who is 14 and a padawan. She's very eager to meet you next month. My sister also looks forward to seeing you again._

 _So far, the wedding plans are going smoothly. That's a surprise. Maybe I should be worried, but I'll be happy everything appears to be working out for now. Let's see if it stays this way._

 _I hope you're having a good, adventurous trip on Shili. Stay safe. I look forward to hearing about your trip once we resume our time together. I must confess I'm quite curious what Shili is like, since your first trip took place before we met and your second trip was rather quick and short... and perhaps upstaged with your sister's sudden arrival._

 _I hope you thought about me today. MTFBW, Sarah._

 _Master Del_

"I did," Sarah whispered. _I'll send her a quick reply after I take that quiz_ , she thought.

⁂

Meanwhile, Tim and Ahsoka watched as Emilina sat in Shalene's lap. The latter was eager to help her young cousin remember some of what she learned over the previous two weeks.

«Very good,» Shalene told Emilina after the latter correctly named a few colors in her maternal language.

"Shalene," Ahsoka interjected. "As much as I appreciate you doing this, it's time for Emilina to go to bed for the night."

"Oh, OK. Do I have to go, too?"

"Not right away, but you may want to rest up after what you've experienced so far and the difference in time between here and Shili."

"You're right. I think I probably should join her soon."

"Sleep well, little one," Tim told Emilina, kissing her on her forehead just below her small patch of fine hair.

Ahsoka joined the cousins as they went upstairs.

"Shalene, I hate to ask you this, but how do you sleep at night?" Ahsoka asked discreetly.

"What do you mean?" Shalene replied.

"Let's just say I know some of our people sleep in little or nothing at night. I was curious if you do that."

"Oh! No, I don't. Besides, it's a bit too cold here for that."

Ahsoka chuckled. For their location, it felt warmer than average during the day. For a tribal Togruta accustomed to a tropical savanna, however, Shalene's comments had merit.

"Hmm. I think I know what to have you wear over night. Tell you what, I'll help Emilina change and you can change in the room yourself. Just shut the door."

"OK," Shalene answered. _They_ _ **really**_ _do have a different sense of modesty here_ , she thought.

Shalene closed the door and noticed what looked like a gray top and gray pants on her bed. As she changed into them, the heavier fabric surprised her.

 _Hmm, this may help me stay warm_ , she thought.

Finished changing, she opened the door again and removed her jewelry for the night. Moments later, Ahsoka returned with Emilina.

"Alright, Emilina," Ahsoka said, "Be sure to go to sleep and be a good host for your cousin."

Ahsoka then put Emilina into her bed and tucked her in.

"Shalene, I'll close the door for you. With your sharper hearing, I don't want to wake you up when we come up to bed later. I'll see you morning."

"Good night, cousin Ahsoka," Shalene replied.

As Ahsoka closed the door, Emilina looked over at her cousin.

«Good night, Emilina,» Shalene told her.

«Good night.»

⁂

The next morning, Shalene joined Sarah in the latter's room.

"Thank you for taking me to that ceremony this morning," Shalene said.

"It's OK," Sarah replied. "I'm surprised you wanted to come. I didn't think you had spirituality on Shili."

"We certainly don't anything like that, Sarah, but we do have our festival. We just celebrated it before we came here, remember?"

"I do, but is that spiritual to you?"

"I think so. At least it sounds like from those words you said in the middle—the ones with all the 'I believe' lines."

"Oh, OK."

"I have to admit though. Even though we don't have a god to worship, there must be someone who leads all our warriors in the great afterlife."

"What makes you think so?" Sarah asked.

"Every pack has a leader, Sarah. Somebody has to lead over our past warriors, too."

Sarah nodded.

⁂

Later that afternoon, Shalene spent time with Ahsoka and Emilina.

"I appreciate you taking time to help us remember what we learned," Ahsoka said.

"I enjoy teaching you, and I hope you remember enough for Emilina to be able to speak our language more when she's older," Shalene answered.

"We'll see. I'm not sure how much we can visit Shili. And it's not like we can speak it to anyone here except ourselves."

"Still, learning a language is important."

"Yeah, Sarah is learning one as part of her academic lessons."

"She told me," Shalene replied. "Maybe at some point she can teach me something about it, too."

"We'll see."

⁂

That evening, with Emilina already in bed, the remainder of the family sat together.

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" Ahsoka asked.

"Shalene wants to come see what I do during the day," Sarah said.

"Is that a good idea?"

"Relax, Ahsoka," Tim replied. "She's our cousin and she already knows about us. Her seeing Sarah training for a day won't betray us." Turning to Shalene, he told her, "I don't see a problem with that, but there may be times when you need to observe quietly and hold any questions or comments to the end of the session. Is that OK with you?"

"Of course," Shalene answered. "I'm here to learn and observe, just like Sarah did years ago."

"That's good. I'll send a message to Master Del. If she doesn't mind, you can spend the morning and afternoon with Sarah before coming back here for the night."

"She can't stay with me at night?" Sarah asked.

"Well, you have cross country practice at four. And your quarters will be a bit cramped with an extra person. Besides, she's here to learn more from **all** of us—not just you."

"I'll be fine, Sarah," Shalene insisted. Besides, I want to spent more time with Emilina, too.

"OK that works. But I want to do something nice for you first thing tomorrow," Sarah told her cousin.

"Now that we have tomorrow worked out, we should probably get to bed, too. Tomorrow starts a bit earlier than it did during the past two weeks," Ahsoka told everyone.

* * *

 **Chapter Endnotes** :

* For the unfamiliar, this is an initialism for "May the Force be with you."


	2. Enter the Cousin

_Earth Date: Monday, 2030-08-19_

Despite having the bedroom door closed, Shalene heard Sarah's bedroom door open across the hall. After opening her eyes, Shalene heard Sarah's soft knock a moment later.

"May I come in?" Sarah asked.

"Go ahead," Shalene replied as Emilina slowly woke up and yawned.

As Sarah entered the room, she looked at her cousin and arched an eye marking.

"How'd you manage to wear father's sweats to bed?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know. Your mother left them here for me," Shalene answered truthfully.

"Oh. I wonder if he even knows. Anyways, we're getting ready to start our day, so if you want to come downstairs with me, you should get dressed now."

"I'm just glad your mother had some old clothes packed away that fit me."

"That's good. Just don't forget your shoes."

"Thanks for reminding me," Shalene replied with a sigh.

⁂

A short time later, Tim led Sarah and Shalene to the medical bay. Upon entry, Molly greeted them.

"I'm already done, Master," she bragged.

"Indeed," Tim replied. "Alright, let me go first then since you're so eager to start your day."

Ashley performed the medical scan with her usual efficiency.

"You check out perfectly fine. Padawan, you can go next," she stated.

Sarah sat down so Ashley could scan her. Thankfully, her scan proved to be normal as well.

Turning to Shalene, Ashley said, "And this must be our guest traveler. I'll need some information for my records. First, I'll need you to spell your first name."

"Shen-aurek-leth-esk-nern-esk," Shalene replied.

Ashley tapped another button to convert the Aurebesh letters into Latin ones.

"Ah, yes. I forgot your alphabet has a letter combining S and H. Is it safe to assume your last name is Tano?"

"That's correct, yes."

"Very good. Birth date?"

Shalene looked on in confusion.

"She's 18!" Sarah interjected.

"Alright," Ashley replied plainly. "I suppose you probably don't know how to translate your birth date into our calendar, so I'll just record your birthday as 1-1-2012. Once that's done, I'll go ahead and scan you. I'll probably need a blood sample as well."

"Will it hurt?" Shalene asked nervously.

"It might a little, but you'll be fine."

As Ashley pricked Shalene's shoulder to collect the sample, the latter gave a small yelp, but she didn't flinch.

"Are you OK?" Sarah asked.

"I, I think so," Shalene replied. "It didn't hurt... too much."

Ashley checked her medical datapad as it analyzed the sample, noting, "Well, you do have a vitamin deficiency. That's to be expected, though, given your lifestyle. Apart from that, you have no disease or illness, so you check out OK."

"Are we free to go?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. You can leave if you want."

"Alright. Before we meet Master Del, I want to do something for you first. Let's go."

After Sarah and Shalene left, Rachel said, "Master, there's something I think I should tell you."

"Very well," Tim replied. "Molly, wait for me out in the hall, please."

Once the latter left, he asked, "What's going on?"

"Master, you know I'm bound by medical privacy, especially since she's 18, but there's something I feel obligated to tell you Jedi-wise."

"What is it? You have me curious now."

"Well, she has a very slight sensitivity to the Force. But it barely registers. Here, I can show you without revealing anything else about her scan."

Tim checked Rachel's medical datapad and confirmed her statement. The revelation didn't surprise him, however.

"They **are** fourth cousins," Tim stated, "So it would make sense for that to be true given their ancestry. But, I'm curious what this means Force-wise."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if she can use it in any meaningful way. **Maybe** , she'll have slightly enhanced reflexes or heightened empathy, but there's no way we'd know for sure with her level so negligible."

"So, are you saying it might be best not to tell her?"

"Probably."

"It's for the best. If we tried convincing her or her parents she's Force-sensitive, that could cause some major issues and concerns."

⁂

Prior to meeting her master, Sarah took Shalene to the Jedi commissary.

"What's this place?" Shalene asked.

"It's our commissary. I know you had your birthday already, but I want to get you a belated present. I know you wish you had better shoes to walk in, so find a pair you like and consider it my birthday gift to you."

"Sarah, thank you!" Shalene squealed. It didn't take long for Shalene to find a pair of flat sandals similar to her current wedges—down to the blue straps.

"Should have figured," Sarah told her cousin.

"I may as well keep it simple. Besides, maybe I can wear them at home when it's appropriate."

"Alright. Let's take care of this and then we can meet Master Del."

As the pair left the commissary, they encountered someone else in the corridor.

"Hey, Sarah," Maddie said. As she looked again, she added, "Am I seeing double?"

Sarah chuckled before she answered, "No. Not quite. This is my cousin, Shalene. She's visiting for the week and I'm showing her around."

"Oh, OK. How do you do?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Shalene replied.

"That's good. Sarah, will I see you later for practice? Today's the first day."

"You bet."

"That's good. We can talk more, then. I gotta go. My master won't be happy if I'm late. Bye!"

As Maddie quickly left, Sarah thought, _That's funny. It's not like her to run off so fast. Then again, it's not like I see her much these days._

"She seemed nice," Shalene stated, interrupting Sarah's thoughts.

"I suppose so. When I was younger, though, she used to make fun of me. So, I was surprised to see her greet you so nicely, even if we made up years ago."

"That's surprising. At least she's nice to you now."

"Yeah. Let's stop at my quarters so you can change shoes. If Master Del isn't there, she's probably at the dining hall."

⁂

As Tim and Molly walked to the dining hall, the former asked, "So, how did the weekend go? Did your parents enjoy hearing about the trip?"

"My dad did, and so did Matt. Mom freaked out a little at first, though," Molly answered.

"Wait. Why did she freak out? Nothing bad happened to you—at least to **my** knowledge."

Molly's cheeks flushed slightly.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well, it **is** fun to freak you out, so I guess I'll tell you." After looking around to make sure nobody could overhear her in the hallway, Molly added, "My mom didn't like the picture of me dressed like the others at first. Once I explained that's how they dress because it's so warm, she accepted it."

"Why didn't she like it?"

"She didn't like me going without a bra. Luckily she changed her mind when I said it wasn't a big deal and everyone else dressed like I did."

"I'm sorry I asked," Tim muttered half under his breath.

Molly's joy in flustering her master didn't last long. At the dining hall, the pair sat down with Master Cara.

"Master, thank goodness you're back. I hereby relinquish control back to you," Cara stated.

"Cara, why do you always get like that when I'm away and leave you in charge?" Tim asked.

"Being in charge feels so weird. I always worry something will happen that will make me look bad."

"From what I've heard, that didn't happen. However, I'm curious what you wanted to tell me in person this morning before I start my day."

"We—well, Ashley and Jen—got wind of an attempted coup by Darth Cactus against her master."

Tim's eyes widened as he said, "What? Darth Cactus tried to take out Darth Stinger? That was pretty gutsy if that really happened. How'd that end up?"

"We don't know for sure, but we assume it didn't happen. Darth Stinger is still around and Darth Cactus returned to her southwestern compound."

"I guess it's safe to say the coup failed. But if she did attempt a coup, I'm surprised Darth Stinger didn't strike back. She's not one to take challenges like that sitting down quietly."

"Jen wanted to get involved and attempt our own counter strike. I told her we should wait for you to return. What do you think?"

"No!" Tim replied firmly. Making direct eye contact with Cara, he stated, "There's no reason for us to get involved with, or waste resources on, an internal Sith struggle. I'm sure Darth Stinger will lie low for a brief period and then cause havoc, so we'll remain alert and vigilant—and deal with her then."

"OK, Master. I'll tell Jen what you said."

"No, I will. You're not in charge anymore, remember?"

Cara shook her head as her master and his padawan left.

 _I don't know what's worse: his sense of humor or his serious moments,_ she thought.

⁂

"I still don't understand why you want to spar first, master," Sarah said.

"Well, I may as well make sure your skills haven't gotten too rusty in the past two weeks," Del quipped. "Besides, you can take time to meditate about how today's session went and get back into a Jedi mindset."

"That makes sense."

Shalene's jaw dropped in awe as she observed Sarah lift her hand to catch a long metallic cylinder that flew through the air. Sarah almost presented the object to her, but Sarah stopped herself.

"Can I, master?" Sarah asked.

"I'm sorry, Sarah—safety and all. If anything happened to your cousin, we'd both be in trouble. You know the rules."

"Sorry, Shalene. I know you wanted to hold one, but I can't let you."

"It's OK, Sarah," Shalene answered.

"If you want, you can sit in the corner here and watch," Del suggested.

"Alright."

Shalene sat down on the floor and removed her sandals. Her mouth opened slightly in awe as the cylinders both Del and Sarah held produced what looked like colored beams of light that hummed as they moved. She looked on intently as the pair began their sparring session.

⁂

As morning became afternoon, the trio of Master Del, Sarah, and Shalene walked to the dining hall for lunch.

"I'm impressed you chose to meditate with us," Sarah told her cousin.

"Your master said I could. And, I kind of liked it. Besides, I'm trying to learn what you do here," Shalene replied.

"I'm just surprised to hear you liked it. Not everyone enjoys spending that much time in silence."

"Like a certain teen when she was younger," Del quipped.

Sarah shook her head as the trio entered the dining hall.

"Well, here it is," she said. "If you want any suggestions about what to eat, or avoid, just let me know."

Shalene looked around and froze. Something wasn't right—something she hadn't anticipated.

"Sarah," she began. "I... I have something to tell you, and it's a bit embarrassing."

Sarah noticed her cousin's lekku stripes darken.

"What's wrong? You can tell me," Sarah assured Shalene.

Shalene looked at Sarah before she looked down again.

"Sarah, I can't read your writing."

"Oh!" Sarah exclaimed. Having heard her cousin speak English, or Basic as it was called on Shili, Sarah took Shalene's ability to read it for granted. Undaunted, Sarah had an idea.

"Let me call father. He'll know what to do!"

Elsewhere, Tim and Molly walked down a corridor as they slowly worked their way to the dining hall.

"Master, I don't want to sound impatient, but I'm 16 now. Shouldn't you be having me make my own lightsaber soon," Molly said.

"Yes, but it doesn't happen the instant you turn 16. Haven't you learned **anything** about patience in the past three years? Do I need to remind me you what happens when you're overeager?"

Molly looked down at the blue wrist band she wore on her right arm.

"No. I haven't forgotten that. I doubt I ever will."

"What's your rush anyways?"

"I want to show you what I've learned so far. Besides, I had fun making things on Shili. So why not keep that going?"

"I sense another reason unrelated to that."

"I think we're going to run into the dust witch again soon. I want to show her how much more skilled I am since we first met."

"Maybe so, given what Cara told us this morning. Your chance will come soon, I promise. But you have to be more patient no matter how eager you may feel to show your accomplishments."

"Yes, Master."

"And another thing, just once I'd like to hear you call her by her proper Sith name..."

Before either of them could say more, Tim's commlink chirped.

"Yes?" Tim said.

"Father, we have a situation here," Sarah said on the other end. "Shalene can't read our writing and I want to help her somehow."

"You have your datapad, right?"

"Of course, I do."

"Open up the translator and set it for image capture. Then, go into the language settings and select English as the source and Aurebesh as the target. She should be able to use that until I have a chance to see you."

"Perfect! I knew you'd think of something. Bye!"

"Well, padawan, it looks like we'll be taking a short detour to the manufacturing group before lunch," Tim said.

"What for?" Molly asked in reply.

"I need to give Shalene her own ability to read our writing so she doesn't have to rely on Sarah or anyone else."

Back in the dining hall, Sarah did as her father instructed. She gave her datapad to her cousin to see if the plan worked.

Shalene held the datapad and looked at one of the food stations. She slowly read the familiar letters as they appeared.

"Peth-Isk-Zerek-Zerek-Aurek. I don't know what that is, but I can read it now. Thanks, Sarah," she said.

"It was father's idea. I'm just glad it worked. I didn't realize you couldn't read our stuff here."

"It's OK, Sarah. I guess I'll learn that while I'm here, too."

⁂

"Let me be sure I understand you. You need a datapad with no internet access, apart from our intranet, and only our translation modules?" Joe asked.

"That's right," Tim answered. "Sarah's cousin is visiting and she needs to be able to translate our writing to hers. So, that's why she needs a datapad with minimal functionality. I don't want her pressing buttons at random and calling someone in Europe by mistake or something."

"I understand now. Luckily it won't take long to do that. Just wait here."

⁂

Later that afternoon, after the usual study session, Sarah, Molly, and Shalene walked together. The former two of the group had changed into clothing more conducive for the day's first cross country practice of the season.

"I'm still not sure why you had to change," Shalene stated.

"It's for cross country practice. We need to be dressed in lighter clothes for it," Sarah replied.

"That makes sense, but what is this cross country?"

"Well, there's usually teams of five grouped by boys and girls. The goal is to try to run a distance of five kilometers in the fastest time... within reason," Molly explained.

"That sounds interesting. Do you think I could join you?"

"Probably not," Sarah answered. "Mom is coming to pick you up now. And, you need the right clothes and shoes."

"Oh," Shalene replied. As curious as she was, she remained eager to join Ahsoka and slip out of her sandals again.

As the trio turned the corner, they noticed other team members gathered and waiting for practice to begin. In addition, Ahsoka waited there.

"Hey, mom," Sarah said.

"Hello," Ahsoka replied. Turning to Shalene, she asked, "Are you ready to go?"

Shalene nodded and stated, "Yes. Today was quite interesting."

"I can imagine. I heard you had quite a day and a bit of culture shock."

Shalene looked on silently, unfamiliar with the expression.

"I heard you had some trouble in the dining hall until Sarah and Tim helped you out."

"Oh, that. Yes, I'm grateful for their help."

"Don't worry, when we get home, I'll try to help you learn to read without having to rely on a translator."

"I'd like that very much."

"Mom, where's Emi?" Sarah interjected.

"She's with your father at the moment. Don't worry, I'm taking her back home. Anyways, have fun and be safe," Ahsoka told her daughter.

"Alright."

As Ahsoka and Shalene left, Sarah joined Molly and the rest of what appeared to be her teammates for the coming season.

"Oh, hey Sarah. Was that your cousin again?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, she's going home with mom. Are you OK? You seemed nervous this morning," Sarah said.

"I'm fine. I was kind of grounded last week, but I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright."

Maddie walked over to the group of boys and started talking to David.

 _They sure are close all of a sudden_ , Sarah thought. _I should tease her about that... On second thought, maybe not. I didn't like her teasing me when I was younger, so I better leave well enough alone._

"Sarah, is it really you?" A voice said from behind.

As Sarah turned around, she told the girl, "Yeah. I'm kind of hard to miss, huh?"

"You don't remember me do you?"

"I'm trying to think of you, but I can't remember. Sorry."

"Well, it has been a while. Do you remember running together several summers ago at the Jedi Olympics or whatever it's called?"

"Wait a minute. I do remember that. That was like six years ago. Still, I don't remember your name."

"Fran."

"That's right. Well, Fran, are you joining the team this year?"

"I thought I'd give it a try. I really haven't done much running since then. That's why I didn't join last year. But when I heard the team was forming again, I thought maybe I'd try to see if I'm still any good."

"I don't think any of us had any experience last year. Still, I'm glad you joined us."

"Alright, everyone, it looks like this is it for today, so let's go outside, stretch and get started," Master Cal announced.

"It looks like we have four guys and four girls today," Master Cara added. "As you know, we need five of each in order to score as a team—one of our goals for this year. So if you know anyone else who is interested, or even remotely interested, have them join us this week. As usual, practices will start after four—probably close to 4:15—so not to interfere with your study sessions."

⁂

Home with Ahsoka and Emilina, Shalene discussed her day with the latter.

"It sounds like you had quite the day," Ahsoka noted.

"Yes, but I fear what I saw can't be shared with others outside my parents," Shalene replied.

"Don't worry, that will change this week, I'm sure. We have some time before dinner, so why don't I help you with our writing a little before then."

"OK."

Ahsoka handed Shalene an index card.

"You can see our familiar characters on the left?"

"I do."

"The characters on the right are their corresponding ones in Earth writing. The first one is the capital or big version and the second is the small one."

Shalene nodded.

"Here, let me give you this piece of paper. I've written three names on here. Let's see if you can figure them out. It's OK if it takes some time since you're first learning."

Shalene looked at the paper and took what appeared to be a writing implement. The familiar Aurek-Herf-Senth-Osk-Krill-Aurek was second nature to her. She scanned her card and tried to put the symbols together. She slowly wrote a letter A followed by the letters h-s-o-k-a.

"That's your name?"

"That's right. Try the next one. And to make it easy, look at my name to see what letters it has in common. That way you won't have to check the list as much."

Shalene did her best to follow Ahsoka's advice. Four of the five letters appeared in Ahsoka's name. After checking for the last letter, she wrote it down and said, "Sarah."

"Very good. Let's see how you do with the last one."

Shalene looked at the Aurebesh letters and immediately figured out the name.

"Emilina."

"Yes, but write it in our letters so you can recognize them and practice with them."

Emilina, hearing her name, toddled over to her cousin and pulled herself up on the couch to sit beside the latter.

"See, Emilina, this is how your name looks here and on Shili," Shalene said.

"Me name?" Emilina asked.

"That's right."

As Shalene pointed out the different characters to Emilina, Ahsoka told her, "Dinner is almost ready, but we can do more of this tomorrow. I hope this helps you."

"It does." «Thank you, cousin Ahsoka.»

After Ahsoka left, Shalene noticed Emilina curiously looking at the paper and the writing it.

"Do you like learning new things?"

Emilina excitedly nodded her head yes.

"It's fun to learn, isn't it?"

 _It's fun to teach, too_ , Shalene thought.

"Alright, dinner is ready!" Ahsoka called out from the kitchen.

"Let's go Emilina. Your mom is waiting."

To Shalene's surprise, Emilina offered her cousin her hand after getting off the couch.

"We'll go together," Shalene told her with a smile.


	3. Working Together

_Earth Date: Tuesday, 2030-08-20_

"Alright, let's go..." Ahsoka said before Emilina chose to run out of her room and across the hall.

 _The joys of having a toddler again_ , Ahsoka thought as she went across the hall. There, she saw Emilina gently nudging her cousin's nearest shoulder.

Shalene slowly opened eyes and turned her body. She couldn't help smiling upon seeing Emilina waiting for her.

"Hello, little one," Shalene stated.

"Sh'lene!" Emilina exclaimed in reply.

"I'm sorry," Ahsoka interjected. "I shouldn't have let her wake you."

"It's OK. I probably should be up now, anyways," Shalene conceded.

"Alright, we'll have breakfast shortly, and then we can start our day."

"What do you want me to do today?"

"It's not really up to me to decide. Is there anything special you want to do?"

"I'm not sure," Shalene admitted.

"Well, why don't you help Emilina and I learn more of our language. That way we can remember it when we're not on Shili."

"I can do that, but I don't think that will take all day."

"Tell you what, you teach us for part of the day, and I'll help you with reading our language."

"Alright."

⁂

Later that morning, at the Jedi Order, Tim and Molly finished a meditation session.

"Give me your lightsaber," Tim stated.

A confused Molly replied, "Master?"

"I want to show you something."

"Can't you use your own?"

"I could, but since this involves you, why not demonstrate with yours?"

"OK, Master," Molly answered, giving him her lightsaber.

Tim took the lightsaber and held it upright. He then let go of it and grasped it with the Force. As he closed his eyes, the saber started to rotate.

"To do what you hope to do will require extreme focus and concentration," he said with his eyes still closed. "However, one who can keep a clear mind will have no problem."

Molly looked on in awe as her lightsaber appeared to disassemble itself with the components appearing suspended in midair.

 _This almost reminds me of my science lessons about atoms and all the electrons floating around_ , she thought.

"Just as easy as it is to do this, it's also as easy to put everything back together again," Tim stated.

Once again, Molly silent observed everything returning to its proper place.

Tim opened his eyes and stretched out his hand. Molly's saber fell into his waiting palm. He then returned it to her.

"Go ahead, try it."

"Are you sure it'll work?" Molly asked in reply.

"I wouldn't knowingly give my padawan a faulty lightsaber, would I? Imagine the mess."

Molly shook her head and sighed. Despite nearly three years as a padawan, she remained unused to her master's sense of humor—or her perceived lack thereof. Nevertheless, she held her lightsaber up and away from the both of them and successfully ignited it.

"See, I told you it would work."

"You did. But, I have a question. When I finally make my own, do I get to choose the color?"

"Of course. You can choose any color you like—except red or pink. You have one in mind?"

"I've wanted a blue one ever since I was a padawan—not that there's anything wrong with the green one you gave me."

"Indeed. Sarah chose to replace her original green lightsaber with an orange crystal. I'm not sure what she did with her green one, or what color she'll choose when the time comes."

"I thought she made hers."

"Unfortunately, her first attempt didn't succeed," Tim conceded.

"Oh yeah, she told me now that you mention it. She was really bummed out."

"Sometimes, I wonder if having two Jedi parents puts too much pressure on her."

"She'll be fine, master. Sarah's master seems to be patient and encouraging. She'll do it soon enough."

"Let's hope. Anyways, it's lunch time and I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

⁂

"That was impressive. You still remember what you learned with us," Shalene told Ahsoka.

"Thanks," Ahsoka replied. "Or should I say, ' _kotisi*_?'"

"Either is fine. I can't believe Emilina is picking up the words so quickly at her age."

"I think she's young enough where it's easier to learn another language."

"Oh OK. I... I have a question, but I'm not sure how to ask it."

"Go ahead."

"Do you stay here all the time? Surely, you'd feel too isolated."

"Actually, I don't. Right before I had Emilina, I was a full time instructor—a teacher. Once I had her, I returned to teach mornings only. But with Tim's mom gone, I wasn't sure what I was going to do this fall, until Tim suggested checking to see if Emilina is ready to be admitted to preschool this year instead of next."

"Preschool?"

"If I remember, you group younglings based on their age. I'm not sure how old they are when you first teach them, but that's what you do, right?"

"Yes."

"We do the same thing here. We have up to two years of preschool where we prepare them so they'll be ready to learn daily lessons. I hope that makes sense."

"I think so."

"Why the sudden interest?"

Shalene's lekku stripes darkened some. However, she chose to answer the question honestly.

"I've thought about teaching younglings now that I'm of age. That's why I wanted to go to one of our universities in Corvala or Cover City—though my parents insist I can't. I know why, but it's not fair because I would love to learn to be a good teacher and help our younglings that way," she stated.

"There's nothing wrong with that, even if I might be biased," Ahsoka replied with a small grin. "But given you're the oldest, wouldn't you be first in line to replace your father in leading the tribe?"

Shalene sighed before replying, "Yes. But if Amarti was of age at the time, and he wished to be chief, I wouldn't oppose him—even if I have the rights of the first born."

"Now it's my turn for a question. Would it be considered disrespectful or dishonorable for you to decline to replace your father when the time comes?"

"If I was serving the tribe in another capacity, I could state my preference to continue it. It would only be dishonorable if I did little to nothing to help the tribe and refused to do so."

"What if you decline and Amarti were to decide not to become chief."

"At that point, the elders would gather. I can't remember the details but they would either discuss candidates or allow anyone that desired leadership of the tribe to come forward for consideration."

"Oh, OK. Thanks for explaining that for me."

"Not a problem. Now, it's my turn to teach you more about our written language."

"That's good. I'm not sure if I'll ever use it again, but I still want to learn what I can."

⁂

Later that afternoon, Sarah reviewed notes on her datapad.

"I wish I knew what I'm supposed to write about tomorrow," she said.

"Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of writing an extemporaneous essay?" Del replied.

"True, but I just like being prepared, master."

"Keep in mind we can never be truly prepared for anything, Sarah, no matter how much we'd like to be. All we can do is take what we know and do our best to apply it to the situation."

"You sure seem calm even though your wedding is at the end of the month. Shouldn't **something** be freaking you out?"

Del chuckled before answering, "Almost everything has been taken care of already. That's what I did while you were away. I just have some minor details to finalize, but I have nothing to freak out over unless something goes horribly wrong between now and then."

"Oh."

As Sarah resumed studying for her final exam, Del looked at her own datapad and saw a message related to her planning. She opened the message and read:

 _Thank you for confirming your order. Including taxes, the total balance due is €159.49. We expect a minimum 50% deposit within five days with any balance due prior to delivery. Please accept our advance congratulations for your wedding day. – Enkelimäinen Leipomo_ [Angelic Bakery]

 _That doesn't seem too bad for a cake,_ Del thought. _I think that pretty much takes care of everything at this point._

⁂

"Cara, I have a question for you before you get ready for practice," Tim said, talking to his former padawan outside his shared quarters with Molly.

"What is it, Master?"

"As you know, Master Del is getting married at month's end and taking two weeks away for a honeymoon and such. Sarah's going to need a temporary master. Seeing how you partially filled that role in the past, I thought I'd ask you first this time."

"A tempting offer, but I'll have to decline."

"Oh, may I ask why?"

"I'm still assigned to be an afternoon academic instructor since Ahsoka still teaches mornings, though I've heard rumors she may return full time."

"That's not a rumor. We've discussed enrolling Emilina into preschool if she's mature enough, so she's a half-year ahead instead of a half-year behind. If she **is** admitted, Ahsoka wants to teach her initiates full time again."

"That's great! Her class would be glad to have her back permanently. Nevertheless, Master Cal told me if that happens, he may switch me to the high school study sessions. I don't think I can commit to training Sarah when half my day will be spent helping students, proctoring exams, and stuff."

"It's OK, Cara. That's why we avoid pairing padawans with instructors except in the most exceptional situations."

"I just feel like I've let you down—more-so given she's your daughter."

"I don't play favorites, remember?" Tim replied with a teasing grin.

"I didn't mean to suggest you did."

"Relax, Cara. You can't do it, and that's fine. There's someone else I have in mind, so I guess I'll ask that person next."

"Alright. I better get ready for practice. We'll see if anyone else joins us today."

"It'd be nice to have a full team this year. Down the road, I'd like to have enough interest that we can start a middle-school level team for upper initiates."

Cara nodded before walking away.

⁂

"Are you sure you're OK?" Shalene asked Ahsoka.

"I'm fine," Ahsoka insisted. "I have to admit I'm not used to it being this quiet when Emilina takes her nap, but this is my chance to do what needs to be done without having to chase her all over the place."

After a chuckle, Shalene said, "She is a curious one."

"You can say that again."

"But doesn't it bother you to be alone?"

"I'm not alone. I have you with me today."

"Yes, but if I wasn't here, you'd be alone while Emilina sleeps. Doesn't it bother you to be alone like that?"

"It's only for a couple of hours three days a week. I can manage that."

"It would bother me to have nobody around, not even family. Will they be gone all the time?"

"Oh no. Training is four days—rotations—a week. Sarah and Tim come home Thursday night and then stay home Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So it gives us time to be together before the new week starts again."

"I guess that's not too bad. I'm glad you don't feel too isolated."

"Not now. When I first ended up here, I did."

Shalene nodded, unsure of how to respond.

"After the initial shock of being the only Togruta here, I struggled to adjust and be accepted. Sarah did too when she was growing up. Fortunately, we don't have to feel alone or isolated now—even if some people still look at us suspiciously or curiously."

"I guess that makes sense. At least you can handle it better than I would."

"Well, Shalene, I'm not your typical Togruta. Being taken away so young, I never really had a chance to learn our traditions. Having quiet time is a rare treat for me, and I never really did get into the whole 'Togruta go barefoot' thing."

"So I see," Shalene quipped, noticing Ahsoka's usual boots.

 _Now don't_ _ **you**_ _start teasing me,_ Ahsoka thought.

Dismissing her thoughts, Ahsoka asked, "It's almost time to start dinner, would you like to help?"

"May I?"

"Sure, let's go to the kitchen."

⁂

Upon returning from cross country practice, Sarah took a quick shower and joined her master in the dining hall for dinner.

"Feel better?" Del asked.

"Much," Sarah replied, sitting down with her tray. "I know it was warmer than this on Shili, but it seems warmer than usual here this week."

"I guess so. But back home, it doesn't always get this warm. The only real time it's very warm is during sauna?"

"You have a steam room back home?"

"Finnish sauna is something a bit different, Sarah. When you come for my wedding, perhaps you'll have the opportunity for one."

"Oh, OK."

"I better warn you in advance, though. Although men and women often sauna separately, most do so with nothing on."

"You're kidding?!" Sarah asked, her lekku stripes starting to darken.

"No. It's not that big a deal. It's a place to relax and everyone is more interested in that than anything else."

"Uhh, OK."

"You'll be fine, Sarah. I'd have to ask, but I think your father saunaed when he visited. I was only two years old, so it's not like I remember."

Sarah nodded before saying, "Anyways, I'm just glad practice is done for the day. Now I can finish studying for tomorrow."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Sarah. Just think, a year from now and you'll be a graduate."

"I can't believe it myself, master. I never thought I'd be a high school graduate just before my 17th birthday. Then again, I have senior pictures coming up soon."

"The time flies."

"I wonder how Shalene's day went. I didn't see her around today."

"Neither did I. I'm sure she was alright."

"Master, can I call home when we're done here? I want to check in on her."

"Evenings are your free time, Sarah. You don't have to ask permission."

"Thanks."

⁂

Back in her shared quarters, Sarah took her datapad and called home.

At the house, the sound of ringing surprised Shalene.

"It's OK. Somebody is calling me," Ahsoka said. Pulling out her datapad, _Sarah_ appeared on the display.

"Sarah? Is everything OK? What's going on?" Ahsoka asked.

"I'm fine, mom," Sarah replied on the other end of the call. "I wanted to know how Shalene was today."

"She was alright. We all were. I helped her with our alphabet more, and she helped Emilina and I with our Togruti."

"I wish I was there for that."

"I'm sure she'd be happy to help you when you're back home on Friday."

"I hope so. What else happened today?"

"Nothing out of the usual. Shalene helped me with dinner."

"Is she doing OK otherwise?"

"So far as I know. She seems happy to learn our writing and how things go here. And she's helped explain things from back home."

"Is she there?"

"She's in the other room with Emilina. Do you want me to get her?"

"No. I won't bother her if she busy, mom. I'll see her soon enough. You can tell her I asked about her and tell Emi to be a good girl until I come home again."

"Will do. How was your day today?"

"Fine. We had our second practice today. We still have eight people. Running in the heat today wasn't fun. I hate feeling all hot and sweaty."

Ahsoka chuckled, answering, "It's still summer. It's going to be warm for a while. Just be glad you're back home and have the luxury of a shower, unlike Shili."

"Don't remind me!"

"Is there anything else going on?"

"Not really, we just finished dinner and I'm about to study for tomorrow."

"I won't keep you then. Study hard and good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks, mom. See you soon."

"Bye."

Ahsoka ended the call and rejoined Emilina and Shalene.

«I like learning with you,» Shalene said.

Emilina smiled and giggled.

"That was Sarah. She wanted to see how you were doing."

"Sawa?" Emilina asked.

"That was kind of her," Shalene stated.

"Just as you were worried about me before, she called to see if you were OK staying home with me today."

"Family does look out for each other."

"That's true. I think she just misses you some and wanted to make sure you were fine without her helping you."

Shalene nodded.

Making eye contact with Emilina, Ahsoka said, "And Sarah said she hopes you're a good girl until she comes home on Thursday."

"Where Sawa?" Emilina asked.

"She's still studying. She'll be home in two days."

"And you'll be studying, too, soon enough," Shalene said.

Emilina smiled and nuzzled against her cousin.

⁂

Later that evening, Sarah looked at her master curiously.

"You're going to bed already, master?"

"Yeah," Del replied. "I got a message asking me to put a deposit down for the wedding cake. With the seven hour time difference, I want to be up early enough to pay for it and have it processed before the bank closes for the day."

"That makes sense. I'm almost done here, but I have something else I want to do before I even think about going to bed myself."

"I trust you. But I'll go ahead and say good night now. See you in the morning."

"Good night, master," Sarah said.

Once her master left the common area, Sarah turned off the light and entered her own sleeping area. As she sat on top of her bed, she sighed.

 _Today was a busy day,_ she thought. _I'm glad it's almost over, and I'm glad my final is tomorrow. I'm ready to get it done and over with._

After logging out of her online student account, Sarah then activated her diary application and logged in. Although she normally wrote every other week or so, she wanted to record what she could of Shalene's experiences on Earth—even if it was only second-hand information. After briefly summarizing what her mother had told her, she continued to write about her own day's events.

 _Cross country practice went OK, I suppose. It was warmer today—but not quite as warm as it was on Shili—so I was glad when our run was over. I don't think I've ever been anxious to return to my quarters and take a shower. Even if we don't get any new runners, I'd like to see my times improve from last year. We'll see what happens._

 _Master Del seems incredibly calm even though her wedding is coming up on the 31_ _st_ _. With two weeks off after that, she'll be coming back just in time to celebrate my sweet 16. :-) It's bad enough I missed her birthday while I was on Shili, so I'd love to have her be part of one of my bigger milestone birthdays. While I wish grandma was still here for it, I guess I can say she'll be with me in spirit. I just hope she was truly proud of me once she got to know me._

 _That reminds me, I'm not sure what's going to happen while Master Del is away. Father says he's working on the arrangements and should have a temporary master lined up for me by then. I wouldn't mind if it was Knight Ashley again, but I know she can't spar with me, so I have a feeling it won't be her. At this point, though, I don't think I'd mind anyone so long as they accepted me and kept me focused on my training and academics._

 _Speaking of which, I finished studying for tomorrow's final exam. Master Del went to be early to take care of business at home tomorrow, so I should go to bed soon so I don't keep her up._

 _~ Sarah ~_

Sarah saved her entry and powered down her datapad for the night. After removing her headdress, she got into her bed and pulled the sheets over her.

⁂

Elsewhere, Tim checked his own datapad.

"Master, isn't it late for people to send you messages?" Molly asked.

"Well, this is my last check for the night. And, I could get a message from someone overseas where it's morning or mid-day," Tim answered.

"Good point."

Tim looked and saw a new message from the admission's office. He opened it and read:

 _Go ahead and begin the registration process at your earliest convenience. Similarly, let us know when you'd like to conduct the initial interview and testing._

Tim tapped the forward button to send the message as a reply.

 _To: Ahsoka—Home (ahsoka at hybridhouse·invalid)  
Subject: [FWD] RE: Admissions inquiry_

 _Ahsoka, I'll try to take care of this tomorrow (Wednesday). Let me know if there's any day you_ _can't_ _bring Emilina in for the interview... apart from the end of the month when we'll be overseas._

 _Me._

 _PS: I hope Shalene enjoyed her day with you. Let me know if you need me to do anything to help her._

After sending the message, Tim powered shot down his datapad for the night.

Turning to Molly, he said, "I have a couple of things to do tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"That's fine," Molly told him. "What's going on—if I may ask?"

"I need to talk to someone about being Sarah's master while Master Del is on her honeymoon. And, I need to start Emilina's application for preschool."

"Already? She was just born!"

"She's two and a half years old now. She'll be three after the usual cut-off date, but given how smart she is already, I figured it wouldn't hurt to see if she's ready now for three year-old preschool."

"Wow. If I blink, she'll be a padawan."

Tim chuckled.

"At least my padawan has a sense of humor about it."

Molly, realizing she made a joke similar to many of her master's, shook her head.

"I think I'll get ready for bed now," she muttered.

After gathering her sleepwear and closing the bathroom door behind her, she thought, _Just my luck, I'm starting to get his sense of humor._

* * *

 **Chapter Endnotes** :

* For those that haven't read the original _When Cultures Collide_ , this is my non-canon Togruti word for "thank you."


	4. Studious Ones

_Earth Date: Wednesday, 2030-08-21_

Sarah woke up and yawned. As she stood up and left her sleeping area, the sight of Master Del already awake and dressed surprised her.

"Master? What are you doing up already?" Sarah asked.

"Remember? I had to pay for my wedding cake today, so I got up early to do that while it was still afternoon back home."

"Oh, yeah, I remember now. Did you eat breakfast yet?"

"Not yet, I wanted to wait for you so we could go together."

Cracking a small smile, Sarah replied, "I'll be ready in a moment."

⁂

"Hey, I got your message. Can we do the interview next week before we leave? I really don't want to do it this week with Shalene here as our guest," Ahsoka asked her husband during a call to him.

"That's fine. I'll let you know what day it is," Tim replied.

"Oh, one other thing before I forget. She wanted to stay here with me, but I think it might bore her to be here two days in a row. Is there anything you can do for her or with her this afternoon?"

"I could check with Master Cal to see if he needs exam proctors so she can see how her peers study and take exams. But, she would have to stay quiet, and I'm not sure if she'd want to sit quietly for the whole time."

"Leave that me, I have an idea to help her see what it's like to be a student."

"Uhh, OK. I'm not sure what you have in mind, but I'll trust you here."

"Sounds good. I'll see you this afternoon when I drop her off."

"Come to dining hall a little after twelve."

⁂

Later that morning, Sarah took a deep breath before reigniting her training saber.

"You've done good so far, Sarah. Let's finish strong now," Del told her before igniting her own training saber.

Despite the pale blue color of her training blade, Sarah habitually held her saber so that part of her blade would blend in with her arm's orange skin tone had it been her regular saber. The sensations in her montrals reminded her that her master wasn't fooled as the latter quickly swung for Sarah's left side.

Sarah quickly gripped her pommel with both hands and blocked the strike before forcefully parrying it away and taking her own strike at her master. Del blocked the attempted blow and attempted a blade lock with Sarah.

Sarah gritted her teeth before quickly taking a step back and pulling her blade away. With her master briefly off-balance, she swung again, only to have her master dive and roll on the floor.

Del stood back up, holding her reignited saber in a low guard. Sure, Sarah needed to refine her dueling skills, but the heightened senses and echolocation she possessed from being half-Togruta made her more of a challenge than most of her human peers.

Del quickly refocused on the moment as Sarah quickly rushed her. As Sarah swung quickly, Del used a Force-enhanced flip to evade the blow and land behind Sarah. Del then quickly swung and caught Sarah's blade just enough to send the lightsaber out of her hand and to the floor where it harmlessly self-extinguished.

"You over committed," Del stated, extinguishing her own saber.

"I've done that move before," Sarah replied.

"This time, you didn't allow yourself a chance to pull back once I wasn't there anymore. You had no chance to defend yourself. Be glad I'm just your master and not Darth Stinger... or Darth Cactus."

Sarah nodded, though she shuddered at the mention of Darth Cactus' name.

"Something wrong?" Del asked.

"You're right. Darth Cactus probably still wants to kill me after what happened the first time we met," Sarah answered.

"From that mission?"

"I didn't tell you about the time she kidnapped me when I was 12?"

"I know you were kidnapped, but I don't know any of the details."

"When she first partnered with Darth Stinger, the first thing she did was to kidnap me—the first person she could find defenseless enough, I guess. She didn't know who I was, thankfully. Still, she took her lightsaber and jabbed it in my throat and told me she'd kill me had her master not ordered her to keep me alive for ransom. To this day, she still scares me—even if I have gotten some lucky strikes in here and there."

After her initial shock, Sarah cracked a small smile after her master hugged her.

"Intimidation is her primary weapon as much as her lightsaber is, Sarah," Del began. "I can't tell you to move past what happened years ago... goodness knows I'd probably be shaken from that kind of ordeal if it happened to me when I was 12. If you let her control you with fear, though, she already has an advantage. You're better than that, Sarah. You're certainly getting better as you pose more of a challenge to me, especially today."

"Thanks, master."

"What do you say we go freshen up and get some lunch?"

⁂

Elsewhere, Ahsoka, Shalene, and Emilina walked down another hallway to the dining hall.

"Why did we stop in that room?" Shalene asked.

"I told Tim that I'd fill out Emilina's application for preschool this morning. I wanted to stop in to be sure they got it and to set an appointment."

"I don't remember seeing you do that."

"I did it when you were in the back yard with Emilina."

"Oh, OK. It was good to be outside again. It may not be turu-grass, but I just had to feel the grass under my feet again."

"I guess it makes sense when it's something you do almost every day back home."

"Where Sawa?" Emilina asked.

"If she's not eating lunch, she's probably busy. At least you get to see your daddy again."

«Do you want to see your father again?» Shalene asked, oblivious to the fact a passer-by stopped and noticed the unusual trio and the unfamiliar language.

«Yeah,» Emilina replied.

"Good job," Ahsoka stated. "I'm impressed she's learning to respond to a particular language in kind."

"Me, too. Here we are... at the dining hall again," Shalene replied.

"That's right. But we already had lunch. We're just dropping you off."

"I know, but maybe I can have something here later. I'm curious to see what's on the—what's the word you used—menu?"

"That's right. I'm just surprised."

"I couldn't read anything before. Now, I'd like to try again."

Ahsoka nodded as the trio found Tim and Molly.

"Hey, honey," Ahsoka said.

"Hey, there," Tim replied. Noticing Emilina, he added, "Hey, little one, what are you doing?"

"I brought her with us since nobody else is home. Oh, her interview is Tuesday. I hope that's OK."

"That's fine."

"Shalene, how have you been?" Molly asked.

As Emilina climbed into Tim's lap, curiously eyeing his dessert, Shalene replied, "I'm fine, thank you. I spent part of the morning outside with Emilina. It was nice to do something familiar again."

Molly nodded, noticing Shalene wore what seemed to be a sky blue dress with flat sandals.

"Molly..." Tim began, "What has your attention?"

"It's Shalene's dress. It looks nice on her."

"Thanks again," Shalene replied.

"Wait, that looks rather familiar. But I don't think it's Sarah's," Tim remarked.

"It's familiar because it was the first dress I ever got after I came here. I'm glad I kept it."

 _At least she didn't lend Shalene her "other" outfit, assuming she still has it_ , Tim thought.

"Whatever works, I guess. Do they have hand-me-downs on Shili? Does your mother have you wear her old outfits that fit and still look presentable."

Shalene nodded, answering, "Assuming they fit at the appropriate time, clothing is reused as much as possible within a family, especially if it is a large family."

Ahsoka sat down next to Tim and briefly kissed him.

"I should get Emilina home for her nap. I imagine I'll talk to you later, though," Ahsoka said.

"You will," Tim promised. "Oh, and I printed off that other thing you sent me this morning."

"Perfect! Shalene, I'll see you later."

As Ahsoka and Emilina left, Shalene asked, "Where are Sarah and her master?"

"You'll see Sarah soon, but you won't be able to talk to her right away."

"Why not?"

"Today, Sarah and Molly are taking final exams. I'll be overseeing the session, so there may be other students taking their exams as well. So until everyone's finished, you'll have to stay quiet and not distract them."

"Ahsoka said something about me being a student?"

"That's right. Although you're not taking a class, she decided to write something up for you to work on. I'll explain it as we walk over to the academic wing."

⁂

Arriving at one of the computer labs, Sarah and two other students joined Tim, Molly, and Shalene. They each sat at a computer, except for Shalene; she sat in a regular desk near what was the front of the room.

"Alright, everyone. We **do** have a guest here, but she'll be working on something as well. So, she shouldn't distract you," Tim informed the group. "The rest of you should go ahead and log in. The sooner you start, the sooner you can finish. You have the entire three-hour period to complete your exams unless your instructor specified a shorter interval when you log in. I'll likely check up on you from time to time. But, if something comes up or you have a question, either come to my desk or quietly get my attention."

As the students logged into their online accounts, Tim handed Shalene a piece of paper and a pencil.

"Shalene, Ahsoka thought it would be a good idea for you to get more practice translating between your alphabet to ours. On the front, words are written in Aurebesh and you need to write the Latin letters beneath them. On the back, you'll do the opposite and take words in our alphabet and write them in yours. Since this isn't a graded assignment, you can use your card to help you, but the less you use or need it, the better."

Shalene nodded silently and looked at the paper.

 _Let's hope this is helpful_ , she thought.

Molly logged into her account to take an American Government final. She didn't know what to think upon reading that the exam consisted entirely of multiple choice and true/false questions.

At her computer, Sarah logged in and clicked on the link for her literature final. After the next page loaded, she read:

 _Throughout the semester, you've read a sample of works from around the world. All of them have something in common: each one is the author's attempt at answering the age-old question, "How shall we live?" Please take any two authors and their works and compare and contrast both their philosophies and writing styles. Your grade will be based on proper writing (introduction, body, and conclusion); correct grammar and spelling; your ability to be as specific as possible; and proper use of examples and citations._

As Sarah blinked her eyes, she thought, _I guess that's not too hard. Here goes nothing._

⁂

After the final exam session ended, Shalene chose to join Sarah as the latter returned to her shared quarters with Master Del.

"I hope you did well on your exam, Sarah," Shalene stated.

"I think so. It wasn't too hard, I think. I just had to write a brief essay about what I read for this class. What were you doing? I didn't know you had homework," Sarah quipped.

"No," Shalene replied with a giggle. "Your mother wanted me to practice reading and writing your letters. That's what I was doing."

"I hope it helps."

"I think so. If anyone else ever wants to visit you, I could let them have it so they aren't as surprised and unprepared as I was."

"That's a good idea. Hold on a moment, I have to change for cross country practice."

Shalene nodded as Sarah grabbed what she needed to change in the bathroom.

"Are you having a good trip?" Del asked Shalene, curious of the latter's experiences so far.

"Yes, it was nothing like I imagined. You live so differently here—and people don't seem to do anything in large groups, except to eat—but some things seem the same."

"What similarities did you notice the most?"

"It seems everybody has their own tasks to do each day—like we do back home. Teaching seems more individual, but it's still teaching."

"You came during the summer, so it's a bad time to observe teaching. Most students take a break during the summer. They'll all be back again in a couple of weeks. Had you come then, you would have seen more students learning in groups."

"That's what cousin Ahsoka told me. She really wants to teach her class all day again if Emilina can start … preschool."

"From what I've heard, her class likes her and missed her when she had to take an early medical leave. They were happy when she came back, even if it was just for half days."

As Shalene nodded, Sarah rejoined the pair. Sarah wore a white tank top, gray athletic shorts with black trim, white socks, and running shoes. Shalene also noticed something peculiar, something she also noticed on Molly during their time on Shili.

"Sarah, why are you wearing two tops?" she asked.

Sarah looked curiously at her cousin.

 _I'm not wearing two tops!_ she thought.

"I'm only wearing one."

"It looks like you're wearing two. Molly did the same thing when I saw her back home."

Sarah walked over to a mirror and looked at herself.

 _So_ _ **that's**_ _what she saw_ , Sarah though, adjusting the right strap of her tank top as her lekku stripes slightly darkened.

"It's not a second top. It's a sports bra," Sarah stated.

"What's that?"

Sarah shook her head, sighed, and then answered, "Well... how can I say this? It keeps your chest supported when you run so it doesn't bounce too much."

"Oh, OK."

"Well, we better get going. I have to get to practice. And you need to go home with mom."

"Actually, I'm staying with your father. We're going to have our meal here so I can practice my reading."

"Alright. Well, if I don't see you during the day, I'll see you tomorrow when I come home."

"I can walk with you, right?"

"Of course, let's go. I'll see you tonight, Master."

As the pair walked down the hall, Shalene told Sarah, "It's too bad I can come watch one of your practices, or practice with you."

"Unfortunately, you don't have the proper clothes or shoes for that," Sarah replied.

Shalene briefly wrinkled her nose.

"I guess you're right. I'm too used to going barefoot at home, and we don't have those sports things, either. Still, I wish I was visiting when you had one of your races. That would be interesting to watch."

"Yeah, it's too bad there's no way to send you a MyConduit video."

As Sarah and Shalene joined the rest of the cross country team, Tim waited for the pair.

"There you are," he said, briefly hugging Sarah. "Have fun at practice, Sarah. Shalene, you can come with me. Before we eat dinner, you can see some of what I do as a leader."

"OK," Shalene answered. Turning to Sarah, she added, "Good luck, Sarah."

⁂

Later that evening, in the dining hall, Shalene paused to tell Tim, "Thanks, again, for letting me join you."

"Not a problem. It was great to see you reading different things and doing it with confidence, Tim replied."

"And thanks for suggesting what to get—and what to avoid."

"I know you want to do what we do and such. But I thought it was best you eat what ever meat dishes interest you, since that's mostly what you eat back home. That way, too, the risk of you getting sick from unfamiliar food is minimized."

"I appreciate that."

"Molly, how did your exam go?"

"OK, I guess," Molly answered. "True/false questions kind of get to me, though. I can't stand it when I get them wrong, even when some of them are worded so that you aren't sure which is right."

"Sounds like me. At least you have a brief break before the fall semester."

"Your break will be better. You get to see Master Del get married."

"True, but we won't be staying much beyond that. We'll be coming home right away."

"Excuse me, what is married?" Shalene asked.

"You call it being or getting mated. A wedding is what you consider a mating ceremony."

"Oh, OK! I didn't know she had a mate."

"She will after the end of the month."

"I'll have to congratulate her. Molly, how was your practice?"

"I suppose it was fine. We stretched a bit, ran, and then cooled down before we were done," Molly said.

Shalene nodded, unfamiliar with the idiomatic expressions, but unsure if she should ask about each of them.

⁂

After tucking in Emilina for the night, Ahsoka stepped out onto the back yard patio, she stifled a grin upon discovering Shalene's sandals at the edge of the patio where it met the grass. Ashoka walked up to Shalene who spent her time looking up at the sky.

"Are you OK?" Ahsoka asked.

Shalene turned. Having felt Ahsoka's prior movements through her montrals, she already knew she wasn't alone.

"I only see one moon," she stated plainly.

"Earth only has one moon—unlike Shili's six moons."

"It looks lonely."

The comment surprised Ahsoka. Having spent nearly half her life on Earth now, she found Earth's single moon to be an insignificant detail until now. Still, she wouldn't describe the moon as lonely. Her eyes suddenly narrowed, realizing that Shalene's comment might not be as literal as it initially sounded.

"Shalene, are you homesick?" Not sure if she knew the word, Ahsoka clarified, asking, "Do you miss everyone?"

"I can't help wondering if they miss me... and what they're doing without me."

"I'm sure you'll be missed. At the very least, I'll bet a lot of your tribe will want to hear your stories about your experiences here."

"I hope so."

Ahsoka stood alongside her cousin and put an arm around her.

"Don't worry," she assured the teen. "Tomorrow is Thursday. That means that Tim and Sarah will be home for the rest of your time here, so you'll be with all of us again until you go home. I should have known spending most of your time with just Emilina and me would take a toll on you."

"It's not that, cousin Ahsoka. It's just that this is the first time I've been away from home for so many rotations—let alone at such a great distance. This really is a new experience for me. Besides, you've all done your best to have me be around other people. I haven't felt isolated in that sense, really."

"OK, then. Do you want to come back inside with me?"

"Alright."

Shalene stopped long enough to slip her sandals back on. Inside the house, however, they came off once again."

"Is there anything else you'd like to do tonight?" Ahsoka asked.

"No. I think I'd like to sleep now," Shalene responded.

"Alright. By the way, you did a great job with that writing assignment I gave you today. If you were staying longer, I bet you'd be reading better in no time. You're a fast learner. Anyways, I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."


	5. Thoughts and Togetherness

_Date: Thursday, 2030-08-22_

Sarah paused as she ate breakfast at the dining hall.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Del asked.

"I just have so much on my mind, right now, master," Sarah replied. "I have to enroll in my fall classes, do my senior pictures, run cross country, and pick a college for next year."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Where do you want to go when you graduate?"

"I figure since I still have to finish training with you, I'm better off taking online classes at Acorn Community College. I'll be a Jedi by the time I'm done with my Sophomore year and have an Associates Degree. So maybe then I can go to the University—just like father and mom."

"It seems to me you have everything thought out. But, there's more?"

"Well, I just miss Shalene. She's been here four days now and we've barely seen each other," Sarah admitted.

"You'll get to see her tonight and the rest of the weekend."

"I think she's going home Saturday, though."

"Oh. Still, just make the most of your time with her. It's just like life, Sarah. We don't know how much time we have, so we have to get the most out of the time we have, however much it may—or may not—be."

"You're right, master."

⁂

Later that morning. Ahsoka turned off the television set as Shalene and Emilina sat together on the couch.

"What was all that?" Shalene asked with obvious confusion.

"That was a game show. It's called _The Amount is Accurate_ ," Ahsoka answered.

"What was the purpose of it?"

"Contestants have to bid on prizes and either be correct or come as close as possible to the correct amount."

"It makes no sense. None of that stuff is useful."

After chuckling, Ahsoka said, "Perhaps your right. Let's have lunch. That way, Emilina can take her nap before her show comes on at three."

Shalene nodded and picked Emilina off the couch before setting her down again.

Emilina smiled and said, "C'mon, Sh'lene."

⁂

As Tim ate his lunch with Molly, his datapad rung and vibrated. He removed it from his pocket and saw _555-8266 AHSOKA_ on the display.

"Hey, what's going on?" he said, answering the call.

"I think we need to take Shalene somewhere tonight or tomorrow. I think staying here with Emilina and me is starting to take a toll on her—or bore her," Ahsoka explained.

"We could take her someplace tomorrow. Tonight, we could take her to the park."

"Tim, is that a good idea? I'd just as soon **not** have family members ambushed by Darth Stinger at the park."

"If Darth Cactus really did try a coup against her, she's going to lie low for now and regroup. Besides, if Sarah and I join you, she'll have three Jedi protecting her against a Sith."

"Assuming she doesn't bring her acolytes."

"She'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure she'll be happy to see Sarah come home tonight after practice."

"You're right," Ahsoka conceded. "Oh, I better go, she's bringing Emilina back inside. I don't want her to know I talked to you about this. Love you, bye!"

Tim prepared to answer, but the call had already ended.

"What was that about?" Molly asked.

"Shalene may be a bit homesick or bored. So, we'll try to fix that tonight and tomorrow."

"Didn't she say she just turned 18 not that long ago?"

"I think so?"

"Why not take her out—celebrate her belated birthday and let her wish Sarah an early sweet 16?"

"That's a good idea. If we do it, maybe I can invite you, too. That way, she can be around as many familiar faces as possible."

"Sounds good!"

⁂

Later that afternoon, Shalene helped Ahsoka fix dinner again.

"It's OK, we'll be doing something together after dinner," Ahsoka assured her cousin.

"How did you know that... Oh, wait, I think you know how to do that," Shalene answered.

"Actually, I don't have to be a Jedi to know you have cabin fever."

"What's that? I don't feel ill!"

"It's an Earth expression. Sorry. It refers to someone who feels anxious from staying inside all the time."

"I suppose it might be accurate, though it's not your fault you live differently."

"Maybe so, but we're going to go to the park after dinner. It's an open area of sorts. It won't be like the scrub lands of Shili, but maybe you'll feel better."

"It sounds interesting. I think I'd like that."

As Ahsoka set the table, Shalene thought, _It will be good to see everyone else tonight and tomorrow. Being around just two people all day is too strange for me_.

⁂

A short time later, Shalene felt two distinct pairs of footsteps through her montrals. Next, the door opened to reveal Tim and Sarah.

"Daddy!" Emilina exclaimed, running up to her father.

"Hey, _lene*_ [little one]," Tim said, bending over to hug her. "Have you been a good girl this week?"

«I big girl!» Emilina declared proudly.

"I see you've learned your language more. That's good."

Meanwhile, Sarah hugged Shalene and said, "I'm glad to see you again. I missed you this week."

"I missed you too," Shalene stated. "It's good to see you and your father again."

"Oh, yeah. You're so used to being around so many people."

"Ladies, dinner is ready!" Ahsoka called from the kitchen.

⁂

An hour later, the family walked to the nearby park. Ahsoka, despite appearing more comfortable in the park—the same park in which she crash landed years ago—patted her lightsabers from time to time as if she expected trouble.

"It does remind me of home," Shalene said, holding her sandals in her hand as she walked with Sarah. Elsewhere, Tim watched Emilina as she played in the play area for younger children.

"I know it's not the same, but I'm glad you like it," Sarah replied.

"If that area of trees covered the entire area, it would almost remind me of our settlement. What is that area without grass, though?"

"That's a field for baseball or softball. A game field."

"Oh. We really don't have any games like that."

"I'm just glad to see you again—hard to believe you're leaving in two days."

"I know, I feel like I just got here."

"I felt the same way when mom and I visited Shili for the first time."

Back at the playground, Tim said, "Relax, Ahsoka, nobody is coming for us."

"I know, I just can't help it. This park doesn't exactly evoke good feelings for me," Ahsoka replied.

"Perhaps tonight can change that. That reminds me, though. I want to take Shalene to another park. The one with the nature walks. Perhaps the wooded area will remind her of home in a good way."

"Alright. I guess that means I'll take the girls and put Emilina to bed, then."

"If you don't mind?"

"It's OK." Turning to the side, Ahsoka added, "Sarah, Shalene, it's time to go."

After the family returned home, Tim told Shalene, "I have another place I'd like to take you. Let's go there now."

"Alright," Shalene replied as she joined him in the car."

"There's another park I want to take you to. Maybe you'd like it more. The only thing is there might not be much grass and it might be muddy instead. So you'll want to keep your sandals on."

Shalene gave a slight nod.

A few minutes later, Tim pulled into a parking lot. As the pair got out of the car, Shalene noticed one side had an open area and some sort of structure. The other side was more wooded.

"This way," Tim said, guiding Shalene to the wooded area. After a brief walk, they approached a turnstile. "We won't have much time before it closes at dusk, but I think you'll appreciate even a short visit."

Shalene nodded and followed behind Tim, pushing the turnstile as he did to enter the park. As they walked, the wooded area was a bit darker from the trees, but Shalene had no trouble looking around.

"You're right, this does remind me of home. All that's missing is the inner area where people live."

"This is a nature area. This is what this area was like over a hundred years ago before it was settled. This particular area has been preserved for people to enjoy in its natural state."

"I like it."

The pair stopped to sit briefly in front of a pond.

"I hope this week hasn't been too boring for you," Tim stated.

"It's just very different. Maybe if I was here longer, I'd be used to it," Shalene replied.

Suddenly, Shalene saw something that confirmed the ripples in her montrals. She suddenly jumped up and lunged forward.

"Wait, what are you doing?"

"It's a thimiar!"

"No, we don't have those here. Don't go after it!"

Shalene abruptly stopped herself. Why would Tim stop her from hunting her prey?

"Are you sure that wasn't a thimiar?"

"Positive. It was either a squirrel or a chipmunk. You wouldn't want either of those in your mouth. They can carry vermin or disease and make you very sick."

Although it was too dark for Tim to see, Shalene's lekku strips darkened slightly.

"I'm glad you stopped me, then," she confessed.

"We better get going. It will be dusk soon and the park closes then."

⁂

"That was kind of you to do that for Shalene," Ahsoka said, snuggling against Tim as they laid in bed together.

"It was the least I could do. Maybe she'll feel better and see that even though this isn't Shili, there are similarities here and there," he answered.

"Let's hope she likes tomorrow."

"I hope Sarah and Emilina enjoy the day, too."

"Me, too. Let's also hope they like the other surprise you arranged."

⁂

The next morning, Sarah woke up and yawned. Sleeping in the meditation room was the exception for her, but she offered to do it to allow Shalene to stay in her room for the brief remainder of her stay.

 _I'll go upstairs, see if she's awake. If so, I'll get a change of clothes,_ Sarah thought.

The fact nobody seemed awake yet surprised Sarah. She quietly walked to her room and peeked in through the open door. Her eyes widened to see Shalene entirely under the covers, curled up into a ball, with only the tips of her montrals protruding from the covers.

 _What happened to her?!_ Sarah though, concerned about her cousin's well-being.

As she took a step into her room, Shalene felt the vibrations through her montrals, woke up, and peeked out from the covers.

"Sarah, good morning," she said.

"Are you OK?" Sarah asked in reply.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"I saw you curled up like that. I thought something bad had happened to upset you."

"No... that's how I normally sleep."

"Oh. I didn't know that. I was worried about you—apparently for no reason."

"I didn't mean to worry you. What do you need?"

"I came to get my clothes for the day. Now that you're up, you can join us for breakfast."

"Alright."

⁂

Later that morning, Ahsoka, Sarah, Shalene, and Emilina walked together at the local Zoo.

"This is a rather interesting place. I've heard of them, but this is my first time at one," Shalene said.

"That's good," Ahsoka replied.

"Are all these creatures from here?"

"No, some come from different parts of the planet. Those black and white bird we just saw come from the cold area on the south part of Earth," Sarah interjected.

"Where should we go next?" Ahsoka asked.

"Anywhere that doesn't have creatures that look like thimiars," Shalene replied. "I don't want to be chasing the wrong thing again."

"That leaves out the prairie dogs," Sarah deadpanned.

Ahsoka checked her map of the zoo.

"Hmm, we'll skip the American Grasslands. But we can still see the African Grasslands and the African and Asian forests before we go. That way, she can see what animals live in the habitats similar to her own," she stated.

"That works," Sarah replied.

"Let's go. Are you ready, Emilina?" Shalene asked.

Emilina, who had just finished a sip of water from her mother, nodded.

As the quartet left, a family looked at them oddly.

"What exhibit are they from?" one of the kids asked.

"That's a good question. We'll have to ask someone and find out," The mother replied.

⁂

Later that afternoon, Shalene joined Sarah in the latter's room.

"What are you doing, Sarah?" Shalene asked.

"I'm redoing my nails. They were purple before, but I want to do them blue."

"Oh. I've heard about that. I don't suppose I could do that?"

"Probably not—you're going home tomorrow, so I'd have to take it off for you right after it put it on... almost."

"Good point."

As Sarah slowly painted her nails with her favorite shade of metallic blue, she asked, "What happens when your father isn't the chief anymore?"

"Since he has offspring, they would be invited to take over. Because Amarti isn't of age, I'd be invited to be chieftess."

"That's awesome!"

"Actually, no. I … I don't want be a chieftess."

"Really?" Sarah asked in disbelief. "Why not?"

"I'd rather be a teacher, like my mother. Knowing your mother is one and my time here has made me want to be one even more now."

"There's nothing wrong that."

"I don't want my father to disapprove or feel let down," Shalene confessed. "I wish I could go to one of the universities at Corvala or Cover City, but it's too risky."

"That's a shame. Next year, I'll be ready to go to a university if I want."

"That's impressive, but you sound as if you don't want to go."

"It's not that. It costs too much. So I'll go to the local community college instead for two years."

"Oh. I've heard rumors that on Shili, universities are free for full-blooded Togruta."

"That leaves me out," Sarah stated as she finished painting her toenails and switched to her fingernails.

"I don't even know if it's true. I probably never will. But, I still want to teach our younglings, if my parents would let me."

"I don't see why not. Your mom teaches, doesn't she? Surely, they'd be proud to have you doing the same?"

"I hope so."

"That's good. What are you going to do now?"

"Not much of anything. I have to let my nails dry. Then I might check this old book father gave me."

"What is it?"

"It's an old French book he got to keep. He gave it to me to help me between semesters."

"What's that?"

"It's another language people speak. On Earth, people in different areas speak different languages."

"It would be weird if that happened on Shili. Could you say something to me in this language."

"Sure," Sarah replied. "Let me see if I remember my tenses. _Je suis content que tu nous aies visité_."

"What did you say?" Shalene asked curiously.

"I'm happy that you visited us."

"That was nice of you to say."

"Yeah. But, I better start getting my stuff ready for practice. I have to get there ahead of time."

"Oh, OK. I'll see you after, right?"

"Of course."

⁂

Later that afternoon, Ahsoka talked to Shalene upstairs.

"We'll be going out tonight once Sarah is back," Ahsoka said.

"OK. What's going on?" Shalene asked in reply.

"It's a surprise. But, before that, you may want to bathe first."

"How does that work here? You don't have any rivers."

"Come with me and I'll show you."

Ahsoka took Shalene to what the others called the bathroom—the room with its own refresher.

"Once you're undressed, you step in here, pull the curtain, and turn the water on," Ahsoka explained.

"That sounds easy enough," Shalene replied.

Before Ahsoka could speak, she found herself staring at a dress that seemingly fell to the floor in a quick instant. Trying to collect her thoughts as quickly as possible, she turned and opened the closet door and took out a long towel.

"When you're done, you'll want to wrap this around your body and use it to dry off before getting dressed again," she said. "And I'll just close the door, here, so you can have more privacy."

Shalene nodded as Ahsoka closed the bathroom door behind her as she left.

 _What's with my cousins and their almost-lack of modesty?_ Ahsoka thought.

⁂

With cross country practice over for the week, Sarah and Molly returned to their quarters to shower and dress appropriately for the evening. As Tim looked at Molly, he gave her a curious look as he noticed her mid-length strapless beige sundress.

"Oh, the irony," he told her.

"What do you mean?" Molly asked, confused by the comment.

"Monday, you told me your mom didn't like you dressing like the natives on Shili. Today, you're wearing a similarly-styled dress."

Molly shook her head.

"She got this for me... and it's modest enough for her liking."

"Fair enough."

Elsewhere, Ahsoka and Shalene prepared for the evening.

"I didn't think you'd dress quite so formally," Ahsoka said, noticing her cousin wore the same outfit she wore the day she arrived on Earth.

"You said this was a special occasion," Shalene reminded her.

"Indeed, I did. Let's go."

A short time later, Tim, Molly, Sarah, Del, Ahsoka, Emilina and Shalene gathered outside the restaurant before walking in together. Once seated with everyone else, Shalene looked around.

"What's this occasion?" she asked.

"Well," Tim began, "From what we heard, you recently turned 18 years old. Sarah will be turning 16 in a little over three weeks. So, we decided to eat out tonight so we could wish you a happy belated birthday and give you a chance to wish Sarah an early happy birthday."

"Oh, thank you. I appreciate that."

"Hey, am I still going to have a party on my birthday?" Sarah asked.

"Of course, but since Shalene can't celebrate it—and you didn't get to celebrate her birthday—this is your chance to celebrate together before she goes home."

"I like that idea."

⁂

Back at home, Shalene and Sarah stood outside in the darkness.

"I still can't believe you only have one moon. And, you can't see many stars," Shalene said.

"I guess I'm used to it from living here—just as you're used to Shili," Sarah answered.

"I really enjoyed tonight. Is that how they celebrate birthdays here?"

"Not always, but given I'll be 16 this year, I think they'd do something special."

Shalene nodded.

"I hope you liked the food. I know father was nervous about your having cake and ice cream for dessert."

"It was fine. I'm not sick, if that's what you're asking. I've never had anything like that before—nothing that sweet, either."

"I can't believe it's time for you leave tomorrow."

"I know. The time went so fast, but you probably felt the same way when you first visited us."

"I probably did. We better get inside before it's too late."

"Sarah, can I see where you're sleeping. I appreciate you letting me use your room, but I'd like to see where you're staying."

"Umm, sure."

The pair went inside and downstairs. Sarah opened the meditation room's door and showed her cousin in.

"This is so small!" Shalene noted. "Are you sure it's OK?"

"It's fine. Molly and I have spent the night in her a couple of times," Sarah replied.

Shalene looked around. There were two couches presumably long enough to double as beds. She also saw two individual chairs and a small table.

"It still seems small—smaller than my room back home."

"It's normally a meditation room, but we can use it an emergency room for sleeping if needed."

"That makes sense. Being so small makes it quiet and easier to meditate, it seems," Shalene noted.

"That's true. Would you like to join me again?"

"Actually, Sarah, I can't. I need to gather my things so I can leave tomorrow. Your mother said we're leaving first thing in the morning after we eat."

"Oh."

Sarah stood up and hugged her cousin close.

"I wish we had more time together. But it was good to see you again, even if I wish it was longer."

⁂

In her room with her husband, Ahsoka sighed as she laid in bed.

"Today was one of the weirder days I've had in a long time," she said.

"What happened?" Tim asked curiously.

"I showed Shalene how to use the shower, and she undressed right in front of me!"

"Didn't you tell me modesty is different on Shili?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm a distant cousin, not her mother."

"Still, you're family. Either she's comfortable around you because of that, she trusts you, or both."

"I suppose so. At least nobody else saw. Can you imagine how Sarah might react."

"I have a feeling she'd be as awkward about it as you were—if not more-so. Sleep well. You have a long day tomorrow taking Shalene back home."

"Sarah's coming with me. She can help me co-pilot again. She can use the experience."

"That's fine." After kissing her left cheek marking, he added, "Good night."

"Good night," Ahsoka whispered back, snuggling up closer to him before closing her eyes.

* * *

 **Chapter Endnotes** :

* This is my own, non-canon Togruti word. I've chosen to translate it inline.


	6. Unforgettable Flights

_Date: Saturday, 2030-08-24_

After breakfast, Shalene and her cousins drove to the Jedi Hangar. There, they eventually worked their way to the housing Ahsoka's ship.

"Well, this is it," Ahsoka said.

"Are you all coming with me?" Shalene asked.

"Emilina and I and staying home," Tim answered. "But Sarah will be going with you."

"That's good. We can talk more until I get home."

"I hope you enjoyed your stay."

"I did. I learned more than I expected."

Tim offered his hand for a handshake, but Shalene hugged him instead.

"Thank you for what you did for me here. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

"We should get going. We have a long trip to Shili and back," Ahsoka stated.

"Go Sh'lene?" Emilina asked.

"Sorry, little one," Tim told her. "You have to stay with me. But, say good bye to your cousin."

Emilina surprised her father and impressed everyone else, saying, «Bye.»

«Good bye, Emilina,» Shalene answered back. "I hope we see each other again sometime soon."

As Tim picked up Emilina and held her, the pair watched Ahsoka, Sarah, and Shalene board the ship.

⁂

As the ship cruised through space in light speed, Shalene once again tried to acclimate herself to the sensations she felt from traveling so fast.

"Sarah, I forgot to ask you this, but I've been curious how well people accept you if you're the only one of our people there," Shalene said.

"Well, there's mom and Emi, too. So there's three of us," Sarah reminded her. "Growing up, I was teased a lot. And as I mentioned before, Maddie teased me quite a bit until things changed—and we got punished for fighting."

"So, it's better now?"

"Mostly. Some people still think I look weird. Fortunately, few of them actually say anything rude about it. On one of my missions to Manila, though, someone asked me if I was a she-devil because of my orange skin."

"That wasn't very nice. I'm not sure how I'd react if someone asked me that."

"I just did my best to assure the person I wasn't. It was all I could do."

Shalene nodded before saying, "I really hope my parents accept what I told you yesterday."

"I'm sure they'd be happy to know you want to teach children," Sarah replied.

"If you want, I could put in a good word for you," Ahsoka interjected.

"That won't be necessary. I'll tell them, and see what they say. As Sarah just said, it's all I can do."

"I hope it works out," Sarah said.

"Me, too. It's a shame I couldn't run with you at your practice. The idea sounded very interesting. Maybe I can try it back home."

"You may want try short distances. It's difficult to go from not running at all to running five k. Besides, you'll have to be careful, or you might find yourself running from an akul, Swift Striker."

"True, I don't have a mighty princess to help protect me."

The pair laughed together.

"It's a shame we didn't get to spend much time together again. At least we got some pictures together, though," Sarah commented.

"We're both busy more now that we're older. It's OK, Sarah," Shalene answered. "Still, I was impressed as how much Emilina learns at her age."

"Well, she does have a smart big sister to learn from."

"True. I just liked spending more time with her. I only hope she doesn't forget everything I taught her with our language. It would be nice for her to remember what she can of it."

"Don't worry," Ahsoka said, turning her head to join the conversation. "I want to keep what I learned, so I might work with the girls here and there to help us all remember."

"That would be wonderful!"

⁂

As Shili-1 reached the open area outside of the Tano settlement, Sarah watched her mother as she landed the ship. Shalene unfastened her safety harness and took a couple of wobbly steps before regaining her bearings and grabbing her belongings.

Ahsoka led the way down the gangway as Sarah and Shalene followed behind her. With the trio disembarked, Ahsoka closed the gangway without cloaking the ship. She saw no reason do so since she intended to return straight home.

As Shalene walked behind Ahsoka and alongside Sarah, she slowly noticed the silhouettes of four Togruta waiting for her. Realizing two of them were sentinels, she quickly deduced the others were her parents. Instead of waiting for the others to enter the settlement, the quartet began to walk towards the trio in the turu-grass.

"Father," Shalene said, as she hugged Da'Meon.

"It's good to see you again. I was right; the noise I heard was you returning to us as we expected."

"I'm home again."

Cayanna, however, responded more emotionally to her daughter's return.

"Little one!" she exclaimed before hugging Shalene tightly.

After returning the hug, Shalene looked at her mother and asked, "Did you really miss me that much?"

Cayanna's lekku strips darkened slightly.

"I missed you far more than I ever thought possible," she conceded.

"I'm fine, mother. They did what they could to help me. They treated me like I was family."

"That's because you **are** family," Da'Meon stated.

"Oh, of course."

"So, how was your week away?"

"It was definitely different... and interesting. But they're also like us, too."

"You'll have to tell us more."

"And, during my time there, I realized I really want to be a teacher—more than I did before," Shalene admitted.

Cayanna looked at her daughter and smiled.

"In that case, I'll have you speak with Raenna. If anyone can help you be a good teacher, it's her," she said.

"Where is Tim?" Da'Meon asked.

"He stayed home to look after Emilina and take care of things back home. You know how busy leaders are," Ahsoka replied.

"Of course. Will you and Sarah stay?"

"Unfortunately, we can't. We have to head back home as soon as possible."

"I hope we see you again sometime."

"I hope for the day when it's safe enough to travel freely."

"May you have safe journey until next time."

As Ahsoka nodded, Sarah and Shalene hugged one last time.

"It was good to see you again, even if it wasn't all that much," Sarah said.

"It was nice to see you again, no matter how much. Just as you told me on your first trip here, I felt more like your sister than your cousin these past rotations."

"That means a lot to me," Sarah replied, hugging Shalene again. "Be safe. I hope I can see you again when I have bigger news for you."

"I look forward to it."

"Until next time," Ahsoka said.

Da'Meon and Cayanna nodded as Ahsoka and Sarah turned around to return to Shili-1. After watching the ship take off, Da'Meon, Cayanna, Shalene, and the sentinels returned to the settlement.

"Amarti will be happy to see you again. He's very eager to hear about your trip—more than we are, it seems," Cayanna stated.

"He gets eager over everything, but I can't wait to tell you more."

"We'll discuss it at home. That way, we can agree on what you can tell the others," Da'Meon stated.

⁂

With a short time remaining in the intergalactic portion of their trip, Ahsoka checked the instrumentation before removing her safety harness. She picked up a small pouch she has brought with her, opened it, and handed something to Sarah.

"I know it's a bit later than usual, but I brought lunch," Ahsoka said.

"Thanks, mom. I think I needed these past few weeks, even if **our** trip didn't start of so well."

"I think we all needed it after what happened earlier this summer."

"I'm still surprised Shalene came to visit us. I mean, I've wondered if anyone from Shili would want to see us, but I figured it would be too weird for them seeing how different we are. "

"I know you thought your first trip was weird, especially your reaction to how your cousin dressed at that age. But you adapted. There's no reason why Shalene couldn't adapt, even if she still wasn't used to certain things," Ahsoka replied as she thought, _Like what happened to us yesterday._

"I suppose you're right. I wonder if anyone else will ever come see us... maybe Uncle Akuno or his family."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Given how traditional they are, a trip to Earth might give them more culture shock than Shalene had."

"Good point," Sarah conceded.

⁂

Tim held Emilina's hand as they arrived back at the Jedi Hangar.

"Where Sawa?" Emilina asked her father.

"They're not back yet, but soon," he assured her.

Elsewhere, the intergalactic portion of the flight home ended. As Shili-1 dropped from lightspeed, Ahsoka checked the instrumentation.

"Everything's good. Let's head for home," Ahsoka said.

As if on cue, Ahsoka and Sarah heard a loud bang as the ship seemed to shake. If Ahsoka didn't notice the display panel blinking red, the warning sound echoing in her montrals quickly informed her of the situation.

"Something's wrong with our left stabilizer. I'll have to check it. You'll need to begin the landing sequence. If I can't fix it, you'll have to do whatever you can to keep the ship from leaning too much to one side or rolling. Can you do that?" Ahsoka asked.

"I'll try," Sarah replied.

Ahsoka found herself ready to instinctively repeat, "There is no try," but time was of the essence. She grabbed an emergency repair kit and left to check the stabilizer. Sarah did her best to keep the ship upright, struggling on occasion to keep it from pitching too much.

 _She wasn't kidding,_ Sarah thought. _I feel like I'm wrestling it instead of flying it._

Ahsoka reached the appropriate panel and opened it. A puff of smoke came out, causing her to cough. Using the Force to disperse the smoke, she grabbed a diagnostic tool to scan the stabilizer.

Using her wrist commlink, Ahsoka informed Sarah, "If these readings are right, Our left stabilizer is shot. I'll check again and see if there's anything I can do. All you need to do is keep this ship's nose up!"

"OK, mom."

On the ground, the control tower made initial visual contact with Shili-1 and noticed the smoke coming from the left side. The controller turned to another panel and pushed a number of buttons.

"Engine 80, Foam 80, Truck 721, and Rescue 15: we have an inbound flight with visible smoke. Go to the main runaway and stand by. Repeat, inbound flight with visible smoke. Stand by at the main runway. Time out: 15:09."

Having prepared for a potential emergency, the controller than attempted contact with the ship.

"Incoming ship, please identify and be advised fire and rescue are standing by."

"This is Shili-1," Sarah answered back. "We're having problems with our left stabilizer. We need to land as soon—and safely—as possible."

"Shili-1, all runways are clear. We recommend you use the main runway if at all possible."

"Shili-1, over and out."

Sarah found herself struggling more to keep the ship as upright as possible. She did her best to try to ignore the warning chime and flashing lights. In addition, the smell of smoke irritated her nose.

 _This is one time I wish I_ _ **didn't**_ _have sharper senses,_ she thought before activating her commlink again.

"Mom, what's going over there?"

"There's nothing I can do here, it's too far gone. You're doing fine, Sarah. Keep it up."

"I'm trying, but it's getting harder. You better come back so I can land this thing."

Ahsoka instinctively nodded. She packed up her repair kit and returned to her pilot's chair, quickly securing her safety harness.

"So far, so good, Sarah. Let's land this thing," she said.

As Sarah nodded, the ship made an unexpected 45-degree roll. As Sarah noticed the runway in front of her, she realized she had no time to adjust. Not knowing what to do, she said the first thing that came to her mind.

"Brace for impact!"

Ahsoka looked on in horror.

 _This can't be happening again! Please let Sarah land us safely,_ raced through her mind.

⁂

On the ground, Tim noticed Shili-1 wobbling during descent along with the smoke coming from the left side. He also heard sirens on the opposite side of the runway.

"Daddy?" Emilina asked, sensing his concerns.

Tim, not sure what was happening, picked up Emilina and held her against his chest—hoping to spare her the sight of the smoking Shili-1. Emilina squirmed a bit in protest.

"It's fine, little one," he assured her, kissing her on top of her head in between the blue-gray dots where her montrals would eventually grow.

Back in the ship, Sarah did her best to keep Shili-1 as upright as possible. Despite her efforts, the left wing broke off upon impact with the ground. The pitch was such that the ship skidded along the runway, triggering a shower of sparks.

 _We shouldn't crash, but all we can do is wait helplessly until we stop,_ Ahsoka thought. The relief of avoiding a major crash remained tempered by the fact they still weren't out of danger.

As Shili-1 continued to skid down the runway, the compliment of emergency vehicles began to trail behind at a safe distance.

"Foam 80, Engine 80," Engine 80's captain called into his radio. "Set up as soon as possible and spread foam all around the aircraft. Truck 721, be ready to use your monitor to assist. Squad 15, be ready for a potential rescue."

⁂

Shili-1 came to a stop close to its intended designation, albeit still on the main runway. It wasn't long before the emergency vehicles converged on the scene.

Inside, Ahsoka took a breath before coughing. She then removed her safety harness.

"Sarah, are you OK?" she asked.

"I think so, mom."

Ahsoka looked and gasped. With the ship on its left side, they couldn't use the main exit. Ahsoka looked at the panel and pressed the button to open the emergency escape. To her horror, it wouldn't open no matter how many times she pressed the button.

"Mom?" Sarah asked.

"Something's wrong, I can't open the escape."

"So we're stuck in here?"

"They'll get us... with minimal damage, I hope."

Outside, Tim ran out to see what was going on. However, one of the firefighters stopped him.

"Hey, now, you can't go there. You know that," the firefighter reminded him.

"My wife and daughter are in there!" Tim exclaimed.

"We'll get them out."

Tim realized he could still communicate via commlink.

"What's going on in there?" he asked.

"We're stuck," Ahsoka replied. "The main exit is inaccessible, and the emergency escape won't open. What's it like out there?"

"There's no fire... yet. But I don't know if there's any leaking."

The sound of Ahsoka and Sarah coughing moved Tim to instinctively act. In trying to stop him, the firefighter ended up holding Emilina instead.

"Here, take her."

Tim then used a Force leap to jump above the ground activity and land on top of Shili-1. After a wobbly first step and a balance check, he laid on his stomach and carefully positioned himself just over the windshield.

"I'll get you out! Just stay back for now. You may want to help with the glass once it's out," he told his wife and daughter.

Tim detached his lightsaber from his belt, ignited it, and began to plunge it through the thick glass. It took time, but he made what would be a large enough hole through which Sarah and Ahsoka could escape.

Inside, as the glass prepared to fall inside, Ahsoka and Sarah used the Force to catch it in mid-air and lower it to the ground carefully enough to keep the shattering to a minimum.

Extinguishing his lightsaber, Tim said, "Alright, you two. Out you come."

Ahsoka, followed by Sarah, used their own Force jumps to exit through the hole and clear the immediate scene. Tim reattached his lightsaber to his belt, carefully stood up, and joined his family.

Back on the ground, the firefighter with Emilina asked, "Is this the first time you've seen a fire truck?"

Emilina was all set to nod her head yes, when the sight of her family led her to elude her charge's grasp on her hand and run towards them.

"Sawa!" Emilina called as she met her sister.

Catching Emilina and picking her up, Sarah replied, "We're fine, little sis. We're OK."

Emilina, seemingly satisfied with Sarah's response, smiled.

Meanwhile, Tim made the request that once it was safe to do, Shili-1 should be moved to its hangar for further investigation and the eventual repair process.

"That was a risky thing you did there," the firefighter told him.

"When it comes to protecting family, risk means nothing," Tim answered cryptically before walking away.

As he rejoined Ahsoka and Sarah, paramedics examined the pair.

"You check out fine, so if you want a more thorough checkup elsewhere, that's fine. You just have to sign here to acknowledge you've declined on-site treatment, apart from the O2 John gave you," the other paramedic informed Ahsoka.

"We're required to get checked out after a trip out of the area. Since we have to do that now, we may as well take care of everything there."

⁂

With the day's unplanned excitement over for the moment, the family prepared to head to the medical bay.

Sarah, looking down at her feet, said, "Sorry, mom."

"For what?" Ahsoka asked curiously.

Sarah continued to look down and away as she replied, "For trashing your ship. If you want to punish me, I really can't blame you."

"Actually, I have to thank you."

"You're just saying that."

" **No** , I'm not. Crash landings are very difficult to perform. It's rare to have one without injury. The fact you manged to make some sort of smooth landing on a hard-surfaced runway with no injuries and just smoke inhalation was impressive, Sarah. You managed to save us from serious injury—or worse."

Sarah responded with unenthusiastic nod.

"Ahsoka, are you OK? I could sense your uneasiness," Tim said.

"I'll be fine, especially since I could walk away from this landing."

⁂

In the medical bay, Andrea—the senior weekend staff member—scanned Sarah and Ahsoka.

"You both check out fine, and your O2 levels are normal. Are you still having any problems breathing or coughing from the smoke?" Andrea asked.

"No," Ahsoka replied.

Sarah shook her head as well.

"You're both free to go, then. If you have any more problems, though, come back."

"Will do," Ahsoka said.

As Ahsoka and Sarah stood up to leave, Emilina ran over to Sarah and offer her hand.

"Alright, little sis. We can go together," Sarah said as everyone walked down the hallway.

"Sarah, I have an idea," Ahsoka told her. "I know you'll be busy weekends once cross country starts. But when you have time, perhaps you can help me with repairs."

"Do you mean it?" Sarah asked in response.

"You're old enough. And maybe it will help you feel better."

"I'd like to try."

"I hope you feel better now," Tim stated.

"I'm still a little shaky," Sarah confessed.

"That's understandable. Tell you what, I'll pick up something from Arch Burger for everyone tonight. You can order what you like."

"Really?"

"You've more than earned it, princess."

* * *

 **Closing Commentary**

Although I wrote this story to highlight Shalene's experience on Earth, it also provides a chance to show the other characters in their daily routine. As seen here, the academy started a cross country team a year earlier for both interested padawans and traditional students. Time will tell if this remains a viable sports team.

Given the differences in alphabets between galaxies, it made sense for Shalene not to be familiar with she would know as High Galactic—our Latin alphabet. Understandably, Sarah figures if her cousin can speak the language, she can read it as well. Thankfully, she worked with her father to find a feasible and practical solution.

Back to Shalene, homesickness and fewer people to interact with during the day undoubtedly unnerved her at times. One can hope the stays in the parks and Friday's in-between birthday party helped her feel better.

I've been looking forward to writing the ending scene with the landing for quite some time. Shili-1's unplanned and seemingly-extended downtime poses challenges in terms of fast travel and fast response times for global missions, but everyone will adjust. If anything, Ahsoka's experience rebuilding the ship during the _Both Worlds_ story line means she should find it easier to replace what should be nothing more than minor cosmetic damage and a single broken wing. In addition, this is a chance for Sarah to see if she inherited her mother's mechanical skill.

Also, older viewers may notice something peculiar about the fire vehicles and personnel dispatched to the emergency landing. It's my nod to an old TV show that has occasionally aired on digital sub-channels.

Finally, I once again thank everyone for reading and supporting this and my writing as a whole. I appreciate it.

END


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